ClueBy
TodayArchiveWord list

Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
Word bank
YesNo
↻ New worksheet

Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. land — ground
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. fork — in a road
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. land — a country
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. row — a line
  15. roll — a list
  16. land — to come down
  17. row — to paddle
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. ball — a great time
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. ball — a dance
  22. sharp — clever
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com